Education must be verified by the source.

• Elementary, Junior High or High School
  • A parent may use education as a valid need as long as they continue to meet other eligibility requirements
• High School Equivalency Test (HiSET)/ Adult Education and Literacy (AEL)
  • A parent may use education as a valid need as long as they continue to meet other eligibility requirements.
  • The HiSET and AEL programs must be certified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
• Post-Secondary
  • A parent may use post-secondary education as a valid need as long as they continue to meet other eligibility requirements.
  • The parent’s intent must be to receive an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
  • Must be a college or university that offers an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program, or offers credits in courses that can transfer to an institution that offers an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
  • Parents enrolled in post-secondary education may continue to have their child(ren) authorized to a child care provider during normally scheduled  breaks, such as winter and spring breaks.
  • Post-graduate study is not an eligible need component for the receipt of Child Care Subsidy
• Online Education
  • A parent may use online education as a valid need as long as they continue to meet other eligibility requirements.
  • The parent’s intent must be to receive an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
  • Must be a college or university that offers an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program, or offers credits in courses that can transfer to an institution that offers a bachelor’s or associate’s degree.
  • Parents enrolled in post-secondary education may continue to have their child(ren) authorized to a child care provider during normally scheduled  breaks, such as winter and spring breaks.
  • Post-graduate study is not an eligible need component for the receipt of Child Care Subsidy
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
  • A parent may use ESL courses as a valid need for as long as they continue to meet other eligibility requirements.

Verification of Education

If the need for Child Care Subsidy is enrollment in education, verify and document the participant’s enrollment. Obtain verification of the course(s), the number of courses taken, and the hours and days of actual attendance. It may be necessary to obtain more than one type of documentation to verify the need.

For students in a traditional education setting, examples of acceptable verification, as long as all needed information is included, are:

• The Student Income Verification Form;
• Fee receipts;
• Computer-generated class schedules;
• Letter from the school on the institution’s letterhead that includes the name, title, and signature of the staff person completing the letter, as well as the facility’s phone number and address. (Use similar methods to verify required lab hours when not indicated on the student’s class schedule.); or
• Phone call to program/school

For students participating in online classes, examples of acceptable verification are:

• Enrollment confirmation;
• Tuition payment receipt;
• Class syllabus;
• Computer-generated class schedule, if available; or
• Letter from the school on the institution’s letterhead that includes the name, title, and signature of the staff person completing the letter, as well as the facility’s phone number and address. (If applicable, use similar methods to verify required lab hours when not indicated on the student’s class schedule.)

Authorizing Education

• If the parent is enrolled in elementary, junior high school, or high school, authorize child care for up to twenty-three (23) fulltime day units to allow the parent to attend classes and study when needed. If the child is a school-aged child, authorize based on the school schedule of the child.
• If the parent is enrolled in AEL, HiSET or ESL classes, authorize child care based on the verified schedule. These classes are not eligible for additional study time.
• Study time up to one hour per credit hour of enrollment may be allowed each week, in addition to the time in class. Authorize additional study time on an hour for hour basis for required lab work when lab hours are not included in the total credit hours. Study time is only allowed for elementary, junior high, high school, post-secondary and online educational needs.
• Allow continuous child care when reasonable travel time does not permit the parent to return to the scheduled activity in a timely manner.
• If the parent is enrolled fulltime post-secondary, in class or online, which is twelve (12) or more hours, automatically authorize child care for up to twenty-three (23) fulltime units to allow the parent to attend classes and study when needed. If the parent is enrolled in evening classes, authorize evening/weekend care as needed. If the child is a school-aged child, authorize based on the school schedule of the child.
• If the online class is only offered at a regularly scheduled time, authorize time when the participant is attending class and study time up to one hour per credit hour of enrollment per week.
• If the online class is not offered at a regularly scheduled time, authorize up to one hour per credit hour of enrollment per week for class work if the parent is not enrolled fulltime, which is (12) or more hours.